Thread: Help picking first DE

OK... I know there are a lot of threads about first razors, but I'd like to toss out my specifics and see what people recommend.

I've shaved off and on with a straight razor for a while. Always had to touch up with with cartridge, and have sort of given up due to time but will probably go back at some point. In the meantime, I'd like to try a DE and would like to make the best purchase I can for a first, and possibly only DE. So here are the basics:

1. Have great brush and soap, and know how to lather.
2. Have never shaved with a DE, but think that since I have used straights and know the importance of a light touch and stretching...and patience, I might be OK with a more aggressive razor. Maybe not.
3. Brown hair and dark complexion. Beard is about average; maybe slightly more coarse than average. Have to shave every day to look professional. After a weekend of not shaving I have a pretty good beard going, and you can grab and pull whiskers on my entire face, not just in spots. When straight shaving, a scything cut gave the best results (and the most heart palpitations!).
4. Not afraid of an adjustable, but not sure if that's a good idea or not.
5. Price is not a big factor, but I'm not looking to be stupid either. Let's say around $100, and anything beyond that would have to be because it added real value, not just bling. But if it does add something, I'm OK going above that. Big believer in buy once, cry once.

So, what say you? Open comb or closed? Adjustable or fixed? Slant or straight?

I know that a razor is a personal thing and I may have to do some trial and error, but the advantage of this forum is learning from others and accelerating the learning curve. So, given the facts above what would be your recommendation?

--David

Gillette Old style Open Comb...$10.

I would recommend getting an adjustable, since you don't know how aggressive you want it to be. You could go with vintage, but keep in mind, alignment issues are somewhat common. There are several new Adjustables that have just come out in the last couple of years. I personally have a Merkur Progress that I really like. It's got a nice heft to it, which many people like(myself included), and it's a pleasure to shave with. I have the short handled version. Merkur makes some more expensive Adjustables, but they're just too bulky in my opinion.

Yes, an adjustable is a good choice because you can grow into it as your technique improves. You can start of at a mild setting and work up from there as you get better. That eliminates the need to go through a bunch of razors with increasing aggression levels. Always like vintage Gillette Fatboy adjustables. If you check out garage sales they can be found at reasonable prices as opposed to what you'd find on the net.

Another good one is a Merkur 37C slant. Despite some of the horror stories you hear about their aggressiveness I never found it to be aggressive just a very good shaver.

Open comb DE are good too. They don't seem to clog up easily for me. Just because it is an open comb does not mean it is an aggressive razor, some are and some aren't.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the make of blade can have an influence on the shave. Get a sample pack of different blades to see if there is a certain make works best for you before making a bulk purchase.

DEs have a certain angle that they like to work at and not all like the same angle. Just place the head of the DE flat to your face with the handle parallel to the floor and lower the handle till you can just feel the blade on your face. That should give you a good starting angle for that DE.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Y

Another thing to keep in mind is that the make of blade can have an influence on the shave. Get a sample pack of different blades to see if there is a certain make works best for you before making a bulk purchase.

DEs have a certain angle that they like to work at and not all like the same angle. Just place the head of the DE flat to your face with the handle parallel to the floor and lower the handle till you can just feel the blade on your face. That should give you a good starting angle for that DE.

Bob

Partial quote from Bob's post.

+1 on the comment about blades and also about the method to find the right angle. Many people recommend starting with the handle vertical and the razor perpendicular to the face. I have found that that method can give a shaving angle that is too low. The way suggested by Bob usually give the optimal angle, one that often ends up closer to 45 degrees with some razors.

Although conventional wisdom indicates that open comb razors are more aggressive than safety bar razors. However, I have found that open comb can range from mild to aggressive and so can closed bar.

Rather than spending $100 on a single razor, I would suggest purchasing 3-4 razors in the $25-35 range from a variety of manufacturers and styles and see what you like best.

One thing you need to consider is handle length and weight. I have XL hands and find it impossible to shave with a short handled razor. I also like a heavy razor as I can let the weight of the razor itself apply all the pressure needed to shave.

My two favorite DE razors are the Parker 24C open comb and the Parker 98R closed comb. Although Parker quality was spotty in the past, they have gotten their act together. The quality of these razors is as good or better than my Edwin Jager and Merkur razors. However, you have to use a shaving angle of 40-45 degrees with both of the Parker razors to get a close, comfortable shave.

40 + years shaving with a Fatboy and had no need to try anything else,, like bob said it's going to let you find your level of aggressiveness, plus blades everyone needs to try out several blades in their razor to find right combo for your face, mines easy a Fatboy on 9. Tc

Actually, an DE razor will work. It's just a handle holding a blade.

Yes and all straights are the same, but as to blade gap, not everyone can take a wide open edge, too many guys with sensitive skin for that, that's why they have so many different heads even in the past. Tc

You know that old saying "you've tried the rest now buy the best". Cut to the chase and get yourself one of the new single edge razors. They are superior to just about all the true DEs save just a very few.

I use the mongoose and I think it's tops.

I am not going to tell you what to buy, but I will tell you my DE story.

I have tried lots of DE razors and for ME (and this applies to ME specifically, not a lot of other gents whom might prefer something else) I tried numerous Gillette razors such as the Fatboy, Slim etc. and none of them worked for me. Sure, they were fine, and worked for plenty of other gents, but for my face and my beard... nope.... wasn't gonna happen.

So I started down the Merkur route.... I've had over a dozen Merkur razors over the years, but after trying all the adjustables, only to find them set to the same blade exposure that a Merkur HD had, I gave up and went with the venerable Merkur HD. True... it's not uber accurate in design... it's cast zinc with chrome plating... the blade is slightly more exposed on one side of the razor (these inconsistencies have been noted over the past decade or more) but it doesn't bother me as I've learned which side is which and use them to my advantage.

thebigspendur mentioned the single edge razors of current fame such as the mongoose and as a previous owner of a Feather DX I can only say that better blades cannot be had. But, the blades AND the razor cost serious coin.... I'm not willing to pay that price so my DE razor shall remain my only "disposable blade" razor, and for me, that is the Merkur HD. For now, I shave with straight razors and I am happy with the comfort and closeness I get from them. If I ever need to fall back on a disposable system, my Merkur HD will serve that purpose. Is it the *best*? I don't know.... there's too damn many razors out there to try. I do know that different razors require different blades to perform their best... my Merkur Vision razor gave me a great shave with only one brand of blade... the brand is still there, but the blade changed and I'm not willing to wade through all the options available to me now.

The Merkur HD is not an easy razor to master... it can be aggressive in the wrong hands, being experienced in straight razor shaving helps mitigate those issues. As it is rather aggressive, more blades can be used in comfort as long as I do my part in controlling the darn thing.

As for open comb vs closed.... your choice, both can be good. It depends... if you shave daily... closed is probably better... if you only shave every 2nd or 3rd day... the open comb might be better.

Fixed vs adjustable.... My personal experience was that all my adjustable Merkur razors ended up being set to the fixed setting of the Merkur HD, so for me... the HD won. A danger with adjustable razors is that you cannot stop fiddling with them..... Every time you adjust it, it's a new razor and you need to learn it over again. A fixed razor avoids all the fiddling and you figure it out once and you're done.

An adjustable razor might help you figure out what you need in the first place.... so there's no easy answer. While 9 out of 10 Gillette DE razors did not work for me, I did find ONE Tech razor that worked.... I gave it away to a friend and bought another thinking it would be the same.... NOPE.... not even close!

Good luck on your search.... It's YOUR search, not mine.... I cannot ever hope to be able to advise you other than tell you what I experienced when searching for my solution.


Regards

Christian